A gallery in Poland accused Chinese diplomats of attempting to shut down an exhibition critical of Beijing’s record on human rights, expressing astonishment at the embassy’s attempts at “preventive censorship.”
(Bloomberg) — A gallery in Poland accused Chinese diplomats of attempting to shut down an exhibition critical of Beijing’s record on human rights, expressing astonishment at the embassy’s attempts at “preventive censorship.”
An exhibition by the Australian artist Badiucao, “Tell China’s Story Well,” is due to open on June 16 in the Ujazdowski Castle Center for Contemporary Art in Warsaw. Badiucao is known for his provocative art, much of which is highly critical of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s government and its human-rights record.
One series in Badiucao’s new show depicts Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin eating the bodies of children.
According to the artist, a consul from the Chinese embassy in Warsaw met with the director of the gallery on Monday to request the show be canceled. The diplomat told the gallery that the exhibition was damaging to the Chinese government’s image, Badiucao said, among other concerns.
“It has grown into a pattern that almost every exhibition that I do, no matter where it is — Italy, Czech Republic now Poland — they will do something to sabotage the exhibition,” Badiucao said in an interview, saying he would “definitely not” be pulling down his new show.
In an earlier statement released on June 9, the Ujazdowski Castle said they were surprised and concerned over the Chinese embassy’s actions, “which have been carried out for several days and whose aim is to stop the exhibition.”
The gallery said letters had been sent to Poland’s Culture Ministry demanding that the show be withdrawn. The gallery’s website has also been blocked in China. The Polish government and the Chinese embassy in Warsaw didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
The new exhibition is designed to draw parallels between Xi’s government and Russia under Putin, who ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Badiucao said the gallery attempted to present a signed poster of the exhibition to the consul after the meeting on Monday, who turned it down.
Poland has toughened its rhetoric toward Beijing following Russia’s invasion. Earlier this year, the Chinese embassy lashed out at Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki after he told a meeting in Washington that China was “at least flirting with Russia” — and expressed hope that Beijing wouldn’t supply the country with weapons.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters in Beijing Tuesday he was not aware of the situation. “I would like just to say that cultural exchange should be conducive to promoting objective understanding and friendship,” he said.
–With assistance from Colum Murphy.
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